Pivots: Pivotal Pathways and Inclusive On-Ramps to Careers in Biomanufacturing

该项目的意义在于它能够在生命科学和生物技术领域提供支持性的实践经验教育，为以前无法获得STEM机会的服务不足和代表性不足的个人提供入口，从而实现实质性的职业转折。无法满足日益增长的对生物技术人员的需求削弱了中国作为全球生物经济领导者的地位，并构成了国家安全风险。通过证书计划和具有强大支持服务的提升技能课程，该项目将在两年内提高多达180名成年人的就业能力、工资潜力和职业增长。这符合国家利益，因为它促进了科学的进步，促进并支持了教育和多样性。该项目还通过为不断增长的生物制造行业培养专业人员，促进生物技术领域的进步并造福社会。此外，该项目促进了一个更具包容性的科学社区，并为成人职业学习者提供了一个创新的、动手学习的范例。格洛斯特海洋基因组研究所(GMGI)是一家成立于2013年的501c3非营利性组织，通过创新的科学研究和教育应对海洋、人类健康和环境面临的重大挑战。GMGI经营着格洛斯特生物技术学院，该学院为期10个月的生物技术证书项目将动手课堂和实验室培训与带薪实习结合在一起。GMGI为那些没有数学或科学经验的成年人做好准备，他们正在努力与大学和职业联系起来，成为生命科学和生物技术领域的实验室技术人员。GMGI的专有课程允许参与者掌握标准的实验室实践和基本的分子生物学技术，包括DNA提取、扩增和测序。遵循生物制造工作流程，参与者准备用于培养细胞的溶液、培养基和平板，设计细菌细胞以生产感兴趣的蛋白质，生成细胞库并确认生产率，展示熟练的分批、采样和去污染发酵过程，实践上下游加工和纯化，并采用过程分析技术来监测一次性使用的生物反应器中的哺乳动物细胞培养。学生学习行业推荐的设备，包括热循环仪、UV-Vis平板阅读器、NanoDrop/Qubit仪器、电泳凝胶室、DNA测序仪、BioFlo发酵罐、Celligen CLU一次性生物反应、Akta Pure柱层析和其他工具。除了技术课程外，学生还需要完成职业技能课程，为找工作和专业实验室环境做好准备。该项目将扩大向不同的经济困难社区提供服务的范围，并包括为成人职业学习者提供强有力的综合服务，包括津贴、托儿和住房代金券、技术和交通、Deia培训以及心理健康服务资源。由行业专家和经验丰富的教育工作者教授的综合课程打破了障碍，将成为实现扩张和可伸缩性的典范，从而缩小先进制造业领域的重要劳动力缺口。结果将通过研究、教育和行业的会议和出版物得到深思熟虑的捕获、监测和广泛分享。该项目与由NSF TIP和EDU董事资助的NSF ExLENT计划保持一致，因为它寻求支持来自不同专业和教育背景的个人的体验式学习机会，以增加他们对新兴技术领域的兴趣和获得职业道路的机会。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project's significance lies in its ability to provide supportive hands-on, experiential education in the life sciences and biotechnology fields, providing on-ramps to underserved and underrepresented individuals previously unable to access STEM opportunities, thus enabling substantial career pivots. The inability to meet the growing demand for biotechnicians weakens the nation's position as the global bioeconomy leader and poses national security risks. Through a certificate program and upskilling courses with robust support services that enable success, the project will increase employability, wage potential, and career growth for up to 180 adults over two years. This serves the national interest by promoting the progress of science, advancing, and supporting education and diversity. The project also contributes to the advancement in the biotechnology field and benefits society by producing professionals for the growing biomanufacturing industry. Additionally, the project fosters a more inclusive scientific community and provides an example of innovative, hands-on learning for the adult vocational learner. It establishes a framework for closing a workforce gap while simultaneously addressing societal goals of promoting equity and increasing access for diverse learners.Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute (GMGI), a 501c3 non-profit founded in 2013, addresses critical challenges facing our oceans, human health and the environment through innovative scientific research and education. GMGI operates the Gloucester Biotechnology Academy, whose 10-month biotechnology certificate program combines hands-on classroom and laboratory training with paid internships. GMGI prepares adults with no prior mathematics or science experience who are struggling to connect with college and career, to pivot into roles as laboratory technicians in life science and biotechnology fields. GMGI's proprietary curriculum allows participants to master standard lab practices and fundamental molecular biology techniques including DNA extraction, amplification and sequencing. A biomanufacturing workflow follows and participants prepare solutions, media and plates for growing cells, engineer bacterial cells to produce proteins of interest, generate cell banks and confirm productivity, demonstrate proficiency in batching, sampling and decontaminating fermentation processes, practice upstream and downstream processing and purification, and incorporate process analytical technologies to monitor mammalian cell cultures in single-use bioreactors. Students learn on industry-recommended equipment including thermocyclers, UV-Vis plate readers, NanoDrop/Qubit instruments, electrophoresis gel chambers, DNA sequencers, BioFlo fermenters, Celligen CLU single-use bioreactions, AKTA Pure column chromatography, and additional tools. In addition to technical coursework, students complete a career skills curriculum preparing them for the job search and professional laboratory environment. This project will increase outreach to move diverse and economically disadvantaged communities and includes robust wrap-around services for adult vocational learners including stipends, childcare and housing vouchers, technology and transportation, DEIA training, as well as resources for mental health services. The comprehensive curriculum taught by industry experts and experienced educators breaks barriers and will be a model to enable expansion and scalability, thereby closing important workforce gaps in the advanced manufacturing fields. Outcomes will be thoughtfully captured, monitored, and shared broadly through conferences and publications across research, education, and industry. This project aligns with the NSF ExLENT Program, funded by the NSF TIP and EDU Directorates, as it seeks to support experiential learning opportunities for individuals from diverse professional and educational backgrounds to increase their interest in, and their access to, career pathways in emerging technology fields.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.